Raiders’ Saturday notebook

News, notes and quotes from the week of practices and media availability leading into Sunday’s Raiders-Seahawks game at the Coliseum:
Pete Carroll gave glowing reviews to former Cal star Marshawn Lynch for all he’s added to the Seahawks running game, but the truth is all the addition has done so far is get Seattle up to average.

“Using he and Justin Forsett has given us a 1-2 punch that gives us attitude runner and a change-of-pace quickness guy that’s special, and gives us something special for our running game,” Carroll said.

Since Lynch arrived, the Seahawks ran for 111 yards in a 23-20 win over the Chicago Bears, followed by a 144-yard effort in last week’s 22-20 win over Arizona.

Lynch’s contribution? He’s carried 41 times for 133 yards, a 3.2 average not even up to the subpar 3.8 average Lynch had in his last year in Buffalo and his first four games with the Bills this season. He had 17 carries for 44 yards against the Bears, and 24 rushes for 89 yards against Arizona _ with a big chunk coming off a 39-yard run.

Seattle ranks 24th in the NFL in rushing and averages 3.7 yards per carry. They’ve got 27 rushing first downs. Following the Raiders 328-yard explosion in Denver, the Raiders are third in rushing at 158.4 yards and fourth in rushing first downs with 52 and in a three-way tie for second in rushing touchdowns with eight.

— You hear this as a criticism of coaching all the time _ he wasn’t playing to win, he was trying not to lose.

Carroll made a rather amazing admission in that Job 1 at this stage of the Seahawks development is exactly that _ trying not to lose.

“You have to avoid the kinds of things that turn games around and give teams a chance to knock you off,” Carroll said. “That’s the first step and the critical step with football forever.”

If Seattle strives to play error-free football, “it doesn’t mean you’re going to win every game but you’re giong to have a chance in every game. And that’s what we’re trying to get done right now.”

Cable couldn’t quite wrap his mind around that thought process.

“Personally, that’s not in my brain. That’s not how I look at things. We’re playing to win,” Cable said.

When it was suggested that playing it safe, avoiding errors, was simply a first step in building a program, Cable said, “In thar regard, sure, I mean everybody’s trying to do that, but at the end of the game, to make a statement that we’re playing not to lose, that’s incredible to me.”

— Lots of levity and light moments with the Raiders before practice, with jokes and receivers engaging in a game of what looked to be “hot potato” before getting down to business.

It’s fine if the team knows how to turn its attention to the matter at hand _ I remember 49ers defensive backs Deion Sanders, Tim McDonald and Merton Hanks being involved in an intense game of rock, paper, scissors the week leading up to the NFC championship game against Dallas _ and Cable is convinced the Raiders do just that.

He even made the observation to his son, who was visiting and watching practice.

“They know I’m OK with having fun, but it’s time to work, you work, and they’re very good that way,” Cable said. “I was telling my boy this is kind of how this team is, they’re laughing and joking and then we went to a team period and it was business.”

A lot of the good vibes have to do with the Broncos win, according to cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

“You could see it’s not as tense,” Asomugha said. “There’s a confidence level that guys have that, `We can do this and we can win games.’ So we’ve gone out and we’ve practiced like it and we’ve gone through meetings like it, so it’s good. It’s not like we’re relaxing, but it’s good to feel that sense of confidence that we can get the job done.”

On thing that hasn’t been discussed this week is winning back-to-back games. Cable said he was going to trust “the process” of preparing for Seattle and not worrying about what came before or what comes after.

“I don’t know if he wanted to put it in our brains like that,” Asomugha said. “I don’t know if he wants us thinking like, `Oh, we’ve never really won back-to-back, we’ve got to do it,’ and pressing that way. The bigger lesson is if we take it one game at a time we really can do well.”

Nor has it been discussed that the Raiders can be a .500 team at the midway point of the season for the first time since 2002.

“That’s the first I hard it this week,” Asomugha said. “I actually didn’t think about until you just said it. It wasn’t a think we stressed, either. It’s just another game we have to win before a divisional opponent the following week. We just have to put together two wins before we go into the bye.”

Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

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Jhill quiet as kept I think the W’s could beat out the Spurs and the Suns they’re both old and brittle. And Dallas doesn’t scare me neither des Houston and the Hornets, I think you’re thinking of the W’s 2 years ago. This present team is way more talented and I think Curry is the best young PG in the game. Monte is a beast when it comes to slicing up zones.

Raiders for life

Damn Gina!

J Hill

Priest,

I think we all know that you have to be able to score in the half court game.

Zone????

How many times to you really expect to see a zone against legitimate teams?

Backcourt can put up some points, but there is no one of your team that can post up and create from the inside out.

You need a legitimate big man and then we can talk.

ArchiveTony

I see MrBrown keep posting something about you saying you can tell how good Bey is going to play from looking at a picture.
That true, TJGeezer?
Did you really say that? lol.
c’mon coward, if you did cop to it.
why do I know you don’t have the balls to cop to anything?
ok, forget that.
tell us again how Bey has better hands NOW than T.O. EVER DID?
anything on that, coward?

Raiders for life

With CJ and Eugene out…We might see some Stevie.

priesttj

Think about Jhill wh really has a legitimate big man except the Lakers. There are none. We can run on anyone if we get the ball. Lowpost scoring is relative. You can send a 2 or a 3 in the lowpost with matchups. David Lee along with a few no names can help there occasionally. No big deal, what there are maybe 2 teams with great lowpost scorers in the west?

RxRaider

I hope that this time tomorrow night we’re not asking why we didn’t resign Brian Schneider. Our special teams better be ready.

Just Fire Baby

Priest,

You always bring up this supposed hatred that we have towards DHB because we didn’t want him drafted.

Well I spent many, many hours on here prior to that draft, basically as the only person who said we needed a WR and to draft a WR. I didn’t really care who it was, I like Maclin, DHB and Crabtree, but I was about the only one on here who wanted a WR.

So save that nonsense when talking to me about DHB. I just want the guy to catch some TD’s. Murphy does still drop an azz load of passes, but he also has caught numerous fourth quarter TD’s. When will we get a 4th quarter TD from DHB? I mean seriously, would anyone really be suprised if ended the year without a TD?

Just Fire Baby

Warriors can score, play good D at the 3 and 4, and have active big men who can board.

The bench players already seem to have carved out specific roles.

I really like the way this team is headed. Can they win a championship? Probably not. But if we can make some noise in the playoffs, I will certainly take it.

Good choice instead of hanging out at the Halloween parties.
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She got booted mayne……its coming up on Holidays and a nagga gotta play it smooth. She will be back on after Feb 15th….she was hurt but mayne I got too much fire in me to just be with her

Bauce 4 Real

Jhill……Trust this if I stay inside it aint to lay up with the main bz……I’m out of commision in that dept until Feb 15th…..fugg that. I aint interested in meeting your family and being dragged around them holiday events. Pipe distribution shall be heavy during these holidays. all the college bzies coming back home and all these outta towners coming thru…….I’m in da game

Bauce 4 Real

Damn im grooving to this Chaka and Rufus “Stay”……………whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa I whoaaaaaaaaaaaa I….stayyyyyyyyyyyyyy stayyyyyyyyyyyyyy

J Hill

Pipe distribution shall be heavy during these holidays.

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LOL!

Raiders for life

Gotta love Northern California!!!!

Bauce 4 Real

Jheez….I just aint ready yet…I know eventually ima have to but shht the fire too much in me…..fidelity issues fa sho………these bzies get better looking each high school grad class at a time. And on top of it I’m such a handsome looking nagga(in my own mind lol) to these bzies its hard to not fall in their trap

Damn I wasnt gonna go out but shhhht Im feeling nice but the freakin Explorer is a gas guzzlin bbbbbtch plus DUI’s is a real thing and I’m just gettin my L’s back

Bauce 4 Real

Fugg it I’m out in them streets….but I will be at the game for damn sure…..Drunk and all……Bauce gotta go out tonight…..I know my number one fan is out waitin to be checkin fa that man da BAUCE…………….BAUCE!

See ya…JUST WIN

Raiders for life

Bauce, are you tailgating tomarrow?

beach

96.priesttj Says:
October 30th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Jhill don’t sleep broh they can score with the best and eventually Smart will get them to play D trust me.

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I agree with you, Priest. I’m so glad Don Nelson is gone!

beach

Tomorrow is a big day, RAIDER NATION! Happy Halloween and Go Raiders! I’ll be there rooting my team to victory. Run the ball down their throats, and stop the Seattle run!

GalacticGus

This is how i can imagine the first quarter unravels starting with the first Raider drive drive. since perfection is hard come by, i will be realistic with some mistakes overcome that continues to build the existing character of the team.

Ford muffs in end zone but does the smart thing and falls on it quickly and downs for a touchback.

Mc fadden is fed the ball immediately gets the ball on three straight runs with bursts of 7 and 6 yards before being bottled up on a one yard run facing 2nd and 9. false start by Valdheer and a holding on Langston Walker negates a 5 yrd pick up by Zack Miller and the raiders are facing a 3 and 16 after Jacoby ford is the last option on a come back rout grab making a more managable 3 and 16. Miller time.

Nick Miller makes a leaping dive to a ball lobbed softly in an open space for 20 yards to the 39 yard line. It is something Campbell needed to add to his game and worked on in practice and is something that Nick Miller brought to the table… and that is anticipation and making something happen out of nothing by throwing to open spaces where only your receiver has a chance.

Raiders getting that momentum after climbing out of the whole. mc fadden gains 7 yards on the next two runs and on 3rd and 3 Zack Miller rumbles forward for a 14 yard pick up into Seahawk territory on the 40.
on second and 10 after a well defended pass play intended for Nick Miller, JLH comes in opposite of DHB and DHB is used as Decoy in Run game.
It is supposed to be a reverse end around with Higgins handed the ball running in the back field towards DHB, the defense thinks they snuff it out and fall in the trap. DHB draws the defense enough that JLH is able hold on to the ball and gash up diagonally and taken down near the sideline gaining only 11 yards and could have taken it all the way had he not lost his footing.
Next play, from the 29 yard line, Cambell to DHB on a leaping play similar to the preseason grab he made against the Seahawks. TouchdownNNNNN RRRRAAAAIIIIIDDDEERRSSS!!!

all my numbers are consistently accurate

GalacticGus

Raiders 2010 season record 10-6

remaining games:

Raiders vs Hawks Win
vs. Chiefs Win
vs. Steelers Win
Vs. Miami Win
vs. Chargers Lose close one
Vs. Jaguars Win blow out
vs. Donks win closer game than last
Vs. colts Win shootout come from behind win .manning for 320 yards. Colts don’t clinch
vs. Chiefs Lose hard fought defensive battle. Raiders won division previous week. Chiefs outside chance of wildcard on last weekend needing other 2 other teams to fall to 9-7. Only of those teams fell, San Diego. Raiders would have won 10-6 head to head with SD based on better division record of 4-2 to SD’s 3-3. 10-6 wins wild card this year

Chiefs finish 9-7

Chargers 9-7

Donks 7-9

When the Raiders win the West, the whole AFC west is on the rise….

AbusedByAl

I hope Nick Miller will play tonight. I hope they did not let their “confidence level” get too high after the Broncos game… I hope they play hard and concentrated and do not commit 10+ errors again, especially the silly ones like false start and offside. I hope the offense will come up with a creative game plan. I hope we will manage the clock well. I hope our special teams do not give up a runback for a TD but tackle well. I hope DMAC has a good day again with the O-line doing some good blocking. I hope the O-line can protect the QB alright… Lots of hopes, but I think it’s winnable… see you later.